When I arrived in Zhuhai, I tasted egg tart at an orientation brunch for exchange students. After initially enjoying this sweet treat, I was excited to find fresh egg tart throughout the streets of Macao. Now, egg tart is even more appealing to me after learning about its origins and how to prepare it.
I tried 蛋挞 (egg tart), which is a traditional food throughout Southern China. Egg tart has a texture similar to pie crust on the outside and custard on the inside. Yet, rather than tasting like eggs, it is very sweet!
When I first tried egg tart, I was a bit nervous because I was unsure of what I was biting into. I knew it had egg, but it appeared to be stuffed with an unidentifiable cream. However, once I bit into it I was delighted by the simultaneously sweet and savory taste!
The shell of an egg tart is made by refrigerating a blend of flour, sugar and salt for about an hour. This blend makes a dough, which is rolled and shaped to make the egg tart’s shell. The inside of an egg tart is a mixture of eggs, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla and water. This mixture is strained and then poured almost to the brim of the shell. Then, the egg tarts bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Finally, you will have a yummy snack or a sweet treat to compliment your breakfast.
